1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing apparatuses, information processing methods, and computer programs used therewith. In particular, the present invention relates an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a computer program which can execute secure creating and restoring processing for a valid client of backup data of client-acquired content.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, it has become popular that various types of digital data (hereinafter referred to as “content”), such as music data, game programs, and picture data, are distributed by networks such as the Internet, or by using distributable storage media such as memory cards, hard disks, digital versatile disks (DVDs), and compact disks (CDs). The distributed content is stored in a storage unit of a user's own personal computer (PC), a recording/playback unit, a playback-only unit, or a game machine. Examples of storage units include hard disks, card-type storage devices having a flash memory, CDs, and DVDs. Playback processing on the stored content is then executed.
Information technology apparatuses, such as recording/playback apparatuses, game machines, and PCs, include interfaces for receiving content from a network, or interfaces for accessing memory cards, hard disks, DVDs, and CDs. The information apparatuses each include a controller necessary for playing back content, a program, and a random access memory (RAM) and a read-only memory (ROM) for use as memory areas for data.
In response to a user's instruction from an information technology apparatus used as a player, such as a recording/playback unit, a game machine, or a PC, or in response to a user's instruction from a connected input unit, various types of content, such as music data, picture data, and a program, are retrieved from, for example, a built-in or removable storage medium and are played back by the information technology apparatus, or by a display, a speaker, or the like connected to the information technology apparatus.
In general, creators and sellers of many types of digital content, such as game programs, music data, and picture data, possess distribution rights, etc. Accordingly, it is common in distribution of the content to employ certain usage restrictions, that is, secured configuration in which only an authorized user is allowed to use the software, and unauthorized copying, etc., is prevented.
In addition, a configuration has been proposed in which content and a usage right to use the content are separately managed when provided to a user. In this configuration, the user uses the content, for example, by acquiring encrypted content and purchasing usage-right data, and acquires a key (content key) for decrypting the encrypted content based on key data or the like which can be acquired from the usage-right data.
The usage-right data includes setting information of a mode in which the user is allowed to use the content, and a system has been proposed in which the content may have a range of uses as specified by the setting information.
In the above system in which the content and the content-usage right are separately managed when provided to the user, checking of the usage-right data is executed when the content is used, for example, when music data and picture data are played back, distributed, or downloaded.
In such a content providing system, when a problem occurs in an information processing apparatus used as a client content-playback system, such as a PC or a portable terminal, by which it is impossible for the apparatus to access, for example, the content-usage right, it may be impossible to play back the acquired content. In this case, in the present system, the client must acquire a new usage right corresponding to the content by performing a content purchasing process again.
Types of content purchased by the client include content in which implementation of a purchasing process once gives a permanent right to play back the content and to use the content. When the problem of the client apparatus not being able to play back the content occurs, the client which has purchased the content is compelled to purchase the content again, which is a problem.